Collaborative Virtual Workspace Plans Unveiled

A major European project has been announced to enable engineers in the aerospace, automotive and construction industries across the globe to interact using virtual reality technology.

Led by the University of Salford, partners in the €12m European Commission project met at the University last week to discuss the development of future collaborative workspaces which will allow engineers from different countries to meet and work as a team in cyberspace to design automotives, aeroplanes and buildings.

It is hoped that in just a few years these collaborative workspaces will be available for industries across the world – saving them the time and cost of international travel and helping to reduce carbon emissions.

For the past year a total of 20 international industry and research partners in the CoSpaces project have been working to develop the collaborative workspace technology, led by the University’s Professor Terrence Fernando. He said: “This is truly pioneering technology.

“It will allow colleagues to work in the same space, but in different countries. This way of working will revolutionise the way that the construction, aerospace and automotive industries currently design and interact. The possibilities for other areas are vast and we are already thinking about developing the concept for industries such as urban planning.”

The partners met at the University of Salford’s Think Lab - one of the most advanced virtual environment centres in the world and unique in Europe – on 25 May to demonstrate an early version of the technology that will be advanced over the coming months.

www.cospaces.org